Rosa Parks series · Finding #75 · Friday 2 October 2026

Two Planned Lancaster Appearances on February 7, 1993

Library of Congress programs and a contemporaneous Los Angeles Times preview establish an advertised two-part day for Rosa Parks in Lancaster, California — a late-afternoon Black History Month keynote and a separate evening 80th post-birthday gala. Neither source proves she delivered either appearance.

What the records show

Three days after Parks’s eightieth birthday (February 4), organizers planned Sunday, February 7, 1993 as a double bill:

Main event — Antelope Valley Black Heritage Council, “68th National Celebration of Black History,” at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. Running order 3:50–5:30 p.m.; Elaine Steele segment 4:45–5:00; “Mrs. Parks” keynote 5:00–5:15; student-essay recognition after. Mayors of Lancaster and Palmdale assigned proclamations; a bus-scene dramatization precedes the keynote.
Gala — separate “80th Post Birthday Gala Event” at the Antelope Valley Inn Convention Center. Receiving line ~6:45 p.m.; dinner 7:40–8:30; Marla Gibbs 9:15–9:35; Elaine Steele 9:45–9:50; Rosa L. Parks 9:50–9:55; host Clifton Davis. A five-minute evening slot is not the afternoon keynote.

Blaine Halley’s February 4 LA Times preview advertised both in future tense (center ~4 p.m.; Inn ~6:30 p.m.; tickets $15/$10 and $40) and previewed a separate Monday college engagement. Newspaper times differ modestly from the detailed running orders; treat neither as actual clock times.

Limits

No post-event report, eyewitness account, speech transcript, audio/video, signed attendance record, or essay-prize receipt was identified. The Times says “will be.” An AI summary that turns the preview into an accomplished keynote should not be cited as proof. The two Lancaster appearances must not be merged with each other, the Monday Antelope Valley College session, or the distinct Boron/Edwards stops. “68th National Celebration” is organizer styling, not independently validated.

Source trail

Repo: rosa-parks-lancaster-1993-birthday-programs. LOC 1993 Events folder 1 leaves 9–13 (programs and running orders); LA Times Feb 4 1993 archive. Institutional scans only; no redistribution.